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National Geo Maps rep to speak on Niagara Escarpment

Jim Dion of National Geographic maps is coming to Door County this week to begin raising funds and interest in a project to develop an interactive map and geotourism for the Niagara Escarpment, including parts of Door County and the Grand Traverse re

National Geo Maps rep to speak on Niagara Escarpment

STURGEON BAY - Jim Dion, sustainable tourism manager of the National Geographic Maps Division, is coming to Door County this week to begin raising funds and interest in developing an interactive map and geotourism for the Niagara Escarpment, which has created many of the majestic bluffs and rock formations that are landmarks of Door County.

Called the The Great Arc Corridor, the Niagara Escarpment is a globally and locally significant geological feature that spans nearly 1,000 miles in an arc across the Great Lakes region, forming the ancient backbone of North America. The corridor crosses Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and New York, the province of Ontario, and four of the Great Lakes.

The interactive map project is a partnership with National Geographic, and is being sponsored by Lakeshore Natural Resources Partnership, Door County Mairtime Museum and the Niagara Escarpment Resource Network.

"It is consistent with the mission of National Geographic, which is to inspire people to care about the planet through storytelling, education and exploration," said Dion.

Ranging from less than 100 feet to more than 1,000 feet in height, the Niagara Escarpment is a prominent rock ridge, which can be seen on the bluffs of Washington and Rock islands and in many areas of the Door peninsula.

It is composed of limestone that was deposited in an ancient sea that covered the continent more than 420 million years ago. An escarpment is the steep cliff edge of a cuesta, while a cuesta is the gently sloping landscape behind the cliff.

The highlight of Dion's visit to Door County will be a sold-out narrated boat tour of the Grand Traverse Islands to learn about The Great Arc and its geological features from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. He is also speaking at The Clearing at 7 p.m. Thursday. Space is limited, and those interested in attending should call Bob Bultman at 920-421-2283 to secure a spot.

A Massachusetts native, Dion has a background as a river guide and has led hundreds of river tours all over the world, including Guatemala, Mexico, South American and Europe. He has worked on similar interactive map projects for the Mississippi River and Delaware River, as well as a smaller project in the Madison/Devil's Lake area.

"The idea is for the maps to create a bridge between local resources and people," he said. The division is part of the company's not-for-profit arm and Dion said that the funds for the project – approximately $160,000 – will have to be raised by the communities featured on the maps as well as by grants.

The mapping of the Niagara Escarpment project in Wisconsin is only in the pre-planning stage, but once it moves forward, it will take approximately a year to complete, he said.

Susan Kennedy, a consultant for the Lakeshore Natural Resources Partnership, said that the map will initially begin in Waukesha County, the escarpment's southwest edge, and follow the arc east through Door County and the Grand Traverse Islands. She previously served as an intern for National Geographic in Washington, D.C., and has helped bring the project to Wisconsin.

Kennedy said that she expects that additional organizations from across Wisconsin, Michigan, New York and Canada will join the initial efforts with various types of support.

The Great Arc Corridor offers an impressive number of geotourism opportunities for both tourists and residents, according to Dion.

While much of the focus would be placed on the bedrock and glacial geology of the Niagara Escarpment, the corridor is kept intentionally broad in an effort to include nearby natural and cultural sites associated with the Niagara Cuesta.

The interactive map will include information on access to public and private protected areas, rare landscapes, geological phenomena, micro-climates and ecosystems, as well as cultural experiences such as pre-settlement conditions, Native American life, European settlement and industrial development.

For centuries, Native Americans considered the Escarpment a sacred place where they built their effigy mounds and made astronomical observations, according to Dion. Before the mid-19th century, the Escarpment was a barrier to westward travel by European settlers, prompting construction of locks along the Erie Canal and allowing the "wedding of the waters" from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico through the Great Lakes.

The map will also provide information on hiking, biking, camping and boating opportunities along the Escarpment, as well as feature cuisine, and artistic, sustainability and educational experiences, he said.

Dion will also be speaking at a public meeting scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, at the Door County Economic Development Corp. office, 185 E. Walnut St., Sturgeon Bay.